1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front mask of a display device in which display parts of an image display device such as LED displaying an image, and the peripheral parts are integrated by resin-molding, as well as to a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-49192(1987) discloses a front mask of a display device in which display parts and peripheral parts are integrated by resin-molding. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the conventional front mask which has been disclosed as mentioned above. FIG. 2 shows a partially cutaway view of FIG. 1 as seen along the direction II. FIG. 3 shows a sectional view as seen along the line III--III of FIG. 2. A front mask 30 has an LED 22, which functions as luminous parts, and peripheral parts of the luminous parts, including a resistor 23 and a connector 24 to be connected to an external device, are integrated by resin-molding. A terminal 25 of the LED 22 and a terminal 26 of the resistor 23 project beyond the surface 27 of a mask main body 21. An electrical connection is made between the terminal 25 and the terminal 26, between the terminal 25 and the connector 24, and between the terminal 26 and the connector 24, by a conductor pattern 28 which is formed on the surface 27 by printing.
The manufacturing process of the front mask 30 which has such structural features as mentioned above is described below. First, a mold for forming is prepared. The LED 22, the resistor 23, and the connector 24 are installed at the mounting portion, which has been formed at a predetermined position of the mold. Then, liquid resin is injected through an injection opening of the mold. After the resin is hardened, the mold is demolished, and the mask main body 21 which is integrated with each part is taken out. Then, the conductor pattern 28 is formed by printing at the predetermined position on the surface of the mask main body 21 between the terminal 25 and the terminal 26, between the terminal 25 and the connector 24, and between the terminal 26 and the connector 24.
Since a conventional front mask 30 of a display device is constructed as mentioned above, the LED 22, the resistor 23, and the connector 24 are integrated with the mask main body 21. This makes it possible to manufacture such a device with a high level of accuracy in size. There, however, exist problems. For example since the connection between these parts is made by the printed conductor pattern 28, the printing process is complicated. Further since each part should be arranged by considering the level of printing performance of the conductor pattern 28, there is a considerable limitation in the degree of freedom in the arrangement of each part and design.